U.S. patent application number 15/820378 was filed with the patent office on 2018-03-15 for rapid opening gas valve.
This patent application is currently assigned to Gaither Tool Company, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Gaither Tool Company, Inc.. Invention is credited to Daniel Kunau.
Application Number | 20180072117 15/820378 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 61559056 |
Filed Date | 2018-03-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180072117 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kunau; Daniel |
March 15, 2018 |
Rapid Opening Gas Valve
Abstract
A pneumatically operated gas valve mounted on a vessel
containing pressurized gas. The gas valve includes a piston
positioned in a cylinder with one closed end so that the piston
seats against a gas outlet to close the gas valve. A control
reservoir is formed in the cylinder between the piston and the
closed end of the cylinder. Upon filling vessel, some of the
pressurized gas enters the control reservoir to provide a control
pressure behind the piston. Actuating the control mechanism vents
the control reservoir, resulting in the gas valve opening rapidly
to release the pressurized gas in the vessel through an exhaust
port of the gas valve.
Inventors: |
Kunau; Daniel; (Boone,
CO) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Gaither Tool Company, Inc. |
Jacksonville |
IL |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Gaither Tool Company, Inc.
Jacksonville
IL
|
Family ID: |
61559056 |
Appl. No.: |
15/820378 |
Filed: |
November 21, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13051697 |
Mar 18, 2011 |
9033306 |
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15820378 |
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14716482 |
May 19, 2015 |
9822893 |
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13051697 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16K 31/122 20130101;
B60C 25/138 20130101; B60C 25/145 20130101; F16K 31/383 20130101;
F16K 1/126 20130101; F16K 24/04 20130101; Y10T 137/0318 20150401;
B60C 25/00 20130101; B60C 29/064 20130101; B60C 29/068 20130101;
F16K 31/1221 20130101; F16K 15/20 20130101; F16K 1/36 20130101 |
International
Class: |
B60C 25/14 20060101
B60C025/14; B60C 25/138 20060101 B60C025/138; B60C 29/06 20060101
B60C029/06; F16K 31/122 20060101 F16K031/122 |
Claims
1. A gas valve configured to be mounted on a vessel suitable for
containing pressurized gas, the gas valve comprising: a cylinder
configured to extend from within an interior of the vessel a distal
direction through a hole in the vessel to atmosphere outside the
vessel, the cylinder being affixed to the vessel in an airtight
manner; an endcap of the gas valve attached to a proximal end of
the cylinder, the proximal end of the cylinder being positioned
within the interior of the vessel; a piston configured to slide
back and forth within the cylinder, wherein a distal end of the
piston is configured to move in the distal direction until coming
to rest with the valve being in a closed position; a control
chamber formed within the cylinder between the endcap of the gas
valve and a proximal end of the piston; a control valve comprising
a valve control mechanism, a control valve inlet and further
comprising a control valve outlet that opens to the atmosphere
outside the vessel; and a conduit pneumatically connecting the
control chamber to the control valve inlet; wherein, in response to
the valve control mechanism being actuated, the piston moves in a
proximal direction to an open position causing the gas valve to
release the pressurized gas from the vessel through one or more
holes in the cylinder.
2. The gas valve of claim 1, wherein the distal end of the piston
is configured to contact a sealing gasket to form an airtight seal
in response to the piston being moved to the closed position.
3. The gas valve of claim 1, wherein, the control chamber becomes
pneumatically connected to the atmosphere via the conduit in
response to the valve control mechanism being actuated.
4. The gas valve of claim 2, wherein the sealing gasket is an
O-ring, the distal end of the piston being configured to receive
the O-ring around it, and the O-ring moves back and forth with the
piston in said cylinder.
5. The gas valve of claim 2, further comprising: a compression
spring positioned within the cylinder between the endcap and the
proximal end of the piston.
6. The gas valve of claim 5, further comprising: a cushion
positioned within the cylinder between the endcap and the proximal
end of the piston.
7. The gas valve of claim 6, wherein the O-ring is a first O-ring
and the cushion is a second O-ring; and wherein the gas valve has
an opening time of no greater than 150 ms.
8. The gas valve of claim 1, wherein the piston and the cylinder
are configured to allow an amount of the pressurized gas to leak
past the piston into the control chamber in response to the vessel
being filled with the pressurized gas.
9. The gas valve of claim 1, wherein the pressurized gas upon
leaking past the piston into the control chamber becomes control
gas; and wherein, in response to the valve control mechanism being
actuated, the control gas is vented into the atmosphere via the
conduit and the control valve.
10. A method of quickly releasing pressurized gas from a primary
gas reservoir of a vessel through a gas valve configured to be
mounted on the vessel, the method comprising: providing a cylinder
configured to extend from within an interior of the vessel a distal
direction through a hole in the vessel to atmosphere outside the
vessel, the cylinder being affixed to the vessel in an airtight
manner; attaching an endcap of the gas valve to a proximal end of
the cylinder, the proximal end of the cylinder being positioned
within the interior of the vessel; configuring a piston to slide
back and forth within the cylinder, wherein a distal end of the
piston is configured to move in the distal direction until coming
to rest with the valve being in a closed position; forming a
control chamber within the cylinder between the endcap of the gas
valve and a proximal end of the piston; providing a control valve
comprising a valve control mechanism, a control valve inlet and
further comprising a control valve outlet that opens to the
atmosphere outside the vessel; pneumatically connecting the control
chamber to the control valve inlet via a conduit; and actuating the
valve control mechanism resulting in the piston moving in a
proximal direction to an open position causing the gas valve to
release the pressurized gas from the vessel through one or more
holes in the cylinder.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the distal end of the piston is
configured to contact a sealing gasket to form an airtight seal in
response to the piston being moved to the closed position.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein, the control chamber becomes
pneumatically connected to the atmosphere via the conduit in
response to the valve control mechanism being actuated.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the sealing gasket is an
O-ring, the distal end of the piston being configured to receive
the O-ring around it, and the O-ring moves back and forth with the
piston in said cylinder.
14. The method of claim 11, further comprising: positioning a
compression spring within the cylinder between the endcap and the
proximal end of the piston; and providing a cushion within the
cylinder positioned between the endcap and the proximal end of the
piston.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the O-ring is a first O-ring
and the cushion is a second O-ring; and opening the gas valve in a
time of no greater than 150 ms.
16. The method of claim 10, further comprising: configuring the
piston and the cylinder to allow an amount of the pressurized gas
to leak past the piston into the control chamber in response to the
vessel being filled with the pressurized gas.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressurized gas upon leaking
past the piston into the control chamber becomes control gas; and
venting the control gas into the atmosphere via the conduit and the
control valve in response to the valve control mechanism being
actuated.
Description
BACKGROUND
Technical Field
[0001] The present subject matter relates to valves. More
specifically, the present subject matter relates to a pneumatically
controlled, rapid-opening, gas valve.
Description of Related Art
[0002] Many types of valves suitable for controlling a flow of a
gas are known in the art. Common types of gas valves mechanisms
include ball valves, butterfly valves, and poppet valves. Gas
valves may be actuated manually, electrically, or pneumatically.
Some valves allow fine control of the flow of gas and others may
simply have an open and a closed position. Some applications, such
as for a bead seating tool used to seat a tubeless tire on a rim,
require a rapidly opening valve to provide a burst of air. Valves
designed to provide a fine control of gas flow are not suitable for
such applications requiring a large burst of air.
[0003] One conventional design for a rapidly opening gas valve is
the butterfly valve. Conventional butterfly valves hold pressurized
gas in a tank until the butterfly valve is opened, allowing a burst
of pressurized gas to escape from the tank. However, the design of
conventional butterfly valves suffers from limitation in the speed
with which the butterfly valve can be opened, allowing the
pressurized gas from a tank to escape.
SUMMARY
[0004] Various embodiments disclosed herein provide improved
configurations for a rapidly opening gas valve that differs from
conventional gas valve designs.
[0005] According to various embodiments, a method for quickly
releasing pressurized gas through an outlet may include filling a
control reservoir with pressurized gas to slide a piston located in
a cylinder against a primary outlet to block primary gas from
flowing through the primary outlet. The control reservoir is formed
within the cylinder between the piston and a closed end of the
cylinder and the gas in the control reservoir has a control
pressure. Gas may be provided into a primary gas reservoir and
pressurized to a primary pressure. The primary outlet is a path for
the pressurized primary gas to escape from the primary gas
reservoir. The pressurized gas may be released from the control
reservoir through a release valve to allow the control pressure to
drop below a release pressure. The release pressure is based on the
primary pressure and a difference in area between an area of the
primary outlet and a cross-sectional area of the piston. The
cross-sectional area of the piston can be closer in size to the
cross-sectional area of the outlet so long as the piston is
sufficiently tight within the cylinder--that is, so long as a
relatively small amount of air leaks past the piston into the
control reservoir. If the control pressure drops below the release
pressure, the piston quickly slides away from the primary outlet
allowing the primary gas to escape through the primary outlet.
[0006] A gas valve may have various embodiments that include a
primary gas reservoir having a primary gas outlet with an outlet
area. A receptacle with one closed end is fixedly positioned inside
the primary gas reservoir. A piston positioned in the receptacle is
shaped to fit in the receptacle and has a cross-sectional area
greater than the outlet area of the primary gas outlet. The piston
is able to slide in a reciprocating motion in the receptacle and a
control reservoir is created in the receptacle between the closed
end of the receptacle and the piston. The volume of the control
reservoir is dependent on a position of the piston in the
receptacle. Means for filling the control reservoir with control
gas to a control pressure and a release valve is also included. The
input of a release valve is pneumatically coupled to the control
reservoir. If the control pressure of the control reservoir is
greater than a release pressure, the piston is seated against the
primary gas outlet, blocking gas from leaving the primary gas
reservoir. The release pressure is dependent on a primary pressure
of the gas in the primary gas reservoir and a difference in area
between the outlet area and the cross-sectional area of the piston.
If the release valve is opened and the gas in the control reservoir
escapes through the outlet of the release valve causing the control
pressure of the gas remaining in the control reservoir to drop
below the release pressure, the piston quickly slides into the
receptacle, away from the primary gas outlet, allowing the gas in
the primary gas reservoir to flow through the primary gas
outlet.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute part of the specification, illustrate various
embodiments of the invention. Together with the general
description, the drawings serve to explain the principles of the
invention. They should not however, be taken to limit the invention
to the specific embodiment(s) described, but are for explanation
and understanding only. In the drawings:
[0008] FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of an embodiment of a
pneumatically controlled, rapid-opening, gas valve;
[0009] FIG. 2 shows a top plan view of the gas valve of FIG. 1;
[0010] FIG. 3A shows a cross-sectional side view of the gas valve
of FIG. 1 in a closed position;
[0011] FIG. 3B shows a cross-sectional front view of the gas valve
of FIG. 1 in a closed position;
[0012] FIG. 4A shows a cross-sectional side view of the gas valve
of FIG. 1 in an open position;
[0013] FIG. 4B shows a cross-sectional front view of the gas valve
of FIG. 1 in an open position;
[0014] FIG. 5A shows a cross-sectional side view of an alternate
embodiment of a gas valve in an open position;
[0015] FIG. 5B shows a cross-sectional front view of the alternate
embodiment of a gas valve in an open position;
[0016] FIG. 6A depicts an exploded view of a rapid air release
valve (RAR valve) according to various embodiments disclosed
herein. FIGS. 6B-C depict components of an RAR valve according to
various embodiments disclosed herein:
[0017] FIGS. 7A-B depict side views of an RAR pneumatic tire seater
with a portion of the tank cut away to display the RAR valve inside
the tank according to various embodiments disclosed herein;
[0018] FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of
a gas valve mounted on a pressure vessel;
[0019] FIGS. 9A-B show cross-sectional side and front views of a
different alternate embodiment of a gas valve in a closed
position;
[0020] FIG. 9C shows an exploded assembly drawing of the different
alternative embodiment of a gas valve; and
[0021] FIGS. 10A-C show a side view, an isometric view and a front
view of an embodiment of a tire seating system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] The present inventor recognized a problem with conventional
design. Namely, the conventional designs of bead seating tools
feature a tank size that is either too large (for sufficient air
volume) or too heavily reinforced (for sufficient pressure) to be
conveniently used in order to attain a burst of air sufficient to
mount a tubeless tire on a wheel rim. The inventor recognized that
by having a simple valve that could open more quickly than
conventional ball valves or butterfly valves of conventional
designs, a smaller, more easily portable tank might be used. The
present invention provides a simple, low cost, pneumatically
controlled, rapid-opening, gas valve that may be used for a bead
seating tool or other applications. In this way, valves according
to the various embodiments disclosed herein can be used with
smaller, more easily portable, sized tanks.
[0023] In the following detailed description, numerous specific
details are set forth by way of examples in order to provide a
thorough understanding of the relevant teachings. However, it
should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present
teachings may be practiced without such details. In other
instances, well known methods, procedures and components have been
described at a relatively high-level, without detail, in order to
avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the present concepts. A
number of descriptive terms and phrases are used in describing the
various embodiments of this disclosure. These descriptive terms and
phrases are used to convey a generally agreed upon meaning to those
skilled in the art unless a different definition is given in this
specification. Reference now is made in detail to the examples
illustrated in the accompanying drawings and discussed below.
[0024] FIGS. 1, 2, 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B all show the same embodiment
of a pneumatically controlled, rapid-opening, gas valve 100.
Therefore, the same reference numbers are used throughout these
drawings and reference may be made to the various drawings in the
description.
[0025] FIG. 1 shows an isometric view and FIG. 2 shows top plan
view of an embodiment of the gas valve 100. The gas valve 100 may
have a cylindrical body 101 with two end-caps 111, 121 attached to
the body 101 to form a vessel that serves as the primary gas
reservoir 105. The vessel, primary gas reservoir 105, is suitable
for holding pressurized gas--for example, a metal tank similar to
that of an air compressor that holds pressurized air. In other
embodiments, the primary gas reservoir 105 may be formed with other
configurations of parts and may have other shapes such as
spherical, cubic, conical, or other volumetric shapes. In the
embodiment shown, the end caps 111, 121 and the body 101 may be
made of steel, aluminum, a polymer such as poly-vinyl chloride
(PVC) plastic, polycarbonate plastic such as Lexan.RTM. from SABIC
Innovative Plastics, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic,
or other suitable materials, depending on the targeted operating
pressure, size, shape, weight, cost, or other design parameters of
a particular embodiment. The end caps 111, 121 may be attached to
the body 101 using a method appropriate for the material used,
including, but not limited to, welding, gluing, screw-threads,
bolts, external clamps, or other methods to create a gas-tight
seal.
[0026] The input end cap 111 may have a primary gas input opening
110 formed by an input fitting 112 with threads 113 to accept gas
into the primary gas reservoir 105 from an external source that may
be connected to the input fitting 112. The input source may be
connected to the gas valve 100 using other types of connections in
some embodiments including, but not limited to, a quick-connect
fitting, a sleeve fitting, or other type of connection that may be
held in place with screw threads, glue, a bayonet type mount, a
quick-connect, welds, friction, or other methods that allow a
gas-tight, or nearly gas-tight, seal to be formed as the primary
gas reservoir is pressurized. The output end cap 121 may have a
primary gas outlet opening 120 formed by an output fitting 122 with
threads 123. The outlet opening 120 passes through a wall of the
primary gas reservoir 105 and opens to the atmosphere outside the
primary gas reservoir 105. An output conduit may be connected to
the output fitting 122 using the threads 123 or other types of
connection as described above for the input fitting 112.
[0027] A control block 140 may be attached to the body 101 by
bolts, welding, gluing or other attachment methods. A fill valve
160, a Schrader valve in the embodiment shown, may extend from the
control block 140. A release valve button 155 may also be
accessible and an exhaust port 159 may also be seen on one end of
the control block 140. In some embodiments the control block 140
may be located away from the valve body 101 in order to control the
valve from a distance. In such embodiments the control block 140 is
connected to the valve by the conduit 141 which is configured to
extend away from body 101.
[0028] FIG. 2 also shows two cross-sectional cutting planes.
Cross-sectional cutting plane A:A shows the approximate position of
the plane used for the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 3A and 4A.
The cross-sectional views of FIGS. 5A, 6, 7, 8 and 9A are from a
similarly positioned cutting plane in their associated embodiment.
Cross-sectional cutting plane B:B shows the approximate position of
the plane used for the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 3B and 4B and
the cross-sectional view of FIG. 5B and are from a similarly
positioned cutting plane in their associated embodiment.
[0029] FIG. 3A shows a cross-sectional side view taken from the
perspective of cross-sectional cutting plane A:A of FIG. 2. FIG. 3B
shows a cross-sectional front view taken from the perspective of
cross-sectional cutting plane B:B of FIG. 2. FIG. 3B depicts the
gas valve 100 in a closed position. A piston 132 may be seated
against the primary gas outlet 124 to block gas from leaving the
primary gas reservoir 105 through the primary gas outlet opening
120. A gasket, rubber O-ring 125, or other type of seal may be
positioned at the primary gas outlet 124 although other embodiments
may position an O-ring on the piston 132 instead. Other embodiments
may not require the use of an O-ring 125, depending on the
materials used for the piston 132 and the primary gas outlet 124
and manufacturing tolerances of the various parts. The piston 132
may be made of any suitable material including, but not limited to
steel, aluminum, PVC, polycarbonate, ABS, and polyacetal polymers
such as polyoxymethylene including Delrin.RTM. acetal resin from
DuPont.
[0030] The piston 132 may be shaped to fit into a receptacle 130
with a closed end 131 and slide in a reciprocating motion in the
receptacle 130. As can be seen in comparing FIG. 3A and FIG. 3B the
piston 132 is configured to slide back and forth within the
cylindrical receptacle 130. The device is configured so the
chamfered end of piston 132 (i.e., the end opposite spring 136A)
can slide beyond the edge of receptacle 130 to press against the
rubber O-ring 125 or other seal positioned at the primary gas
outlet 124. The other end of piston 132 remains within the cylinder
receptacle 130 and is acted upon by the force of the spring 136A
and the control pressure within the control reservoir 135A.
[0031] The receptacle 130 and piston 132 may be cylindrical in
shape with a circular cross-section or in other embodiments may
have other cross-sectional shapes such octagonal, square,
ellipsoid, or other shapes. The receptacle 130 may be positioned by
supports 102A, 102B, 102C to allow the piston 132 to slide into
position to seal the primary gas outlet 124. The number of supports
may vary between embodiments. The supports 102A, 102B, 102C may be
fixed to both the outer wall of the receptacle 130 and the inner
wall of the body 101 using welding, glue, bolts, or other
attachment mechanisms depending on the materials used and the
details of the embodiment. In other embodiments, the supports may
be fixed to the outer wall of the receptacle 130 and the output end
cap 121. A compressed spring 136A may be positioned between the
closed end of the receptacle 131 and the piston 132 to provide
force to help keep the piston 132 seated against the primary gas
outlet 124. In some embodiments, the piston 132 may have a cavity
134 for positioning the compressed spring 136A and providing room
for the spring as the piston 132 moves toward the closed end
131.
[0032] The piston 132 may include one or more piston rings 133 that
may be fitted around the piston 132 or may be an integral part of
the piston 132 and may be interposed between the piston 132 and the
receptacle 130 to create a tighter seal than could otherwise be
created between the piston 132 and receptacle 130 alone. It may be
advantageous in some embodiments to create a tight seal between the
receptacle 130 and the piston 132 while still providing for low
friction between the receptacle 130 and the piston 132. The piston
ring 133 may be made of a material to help minimize the friction
and create a good seal such as polyacetal, nylon, leather, rubber
or other like type of material known to those of ordinary skill in
the art. The particular material chosen for the piston ring 133 may
depend on the materials used for the piston 132 and the receptacle
130.
[0033] A control reservoir 135A may be created between the closed
end 131 of the receptacle 130 and the piston 132. The piston 132
and control reservoir 135A are typically located on the same side
of the primary gas outlet opening 120 as the primary gas reservoir
105. As such, the piston 132 may be thought of as holding the valve
closed from within the primary gas reservoir 105, rather than from
the outside of reservoir 105 (e.g., rather than from outside of
primary gas outlet opening 120). The volume of the control
reservoir 135A depends on the position of the piston 132 within the
receptacle with the largest volume of the control reservoir 135A
occurring if the piston 132 is seated against the primary gas
outlet 124 as shown in FIG. 3A. A conduit 141 may pneumatically
couple the control reservoir 135A and a plenum 142 in the control
block 140, allowing gas to flow between the control reservoir 135A
and the plenum 142. The conduit 141 may include tubing, pipe,
fittings or other hardware. Gas flowing through the conduit 141
should not be considered as flowing though the primary gas
reservoir 105 as the conduit 141 creates a separation between the
gas in the conduit 141 and the primary gas reservoir 105. The
conduit 141 may exit through the body 101. The exit point may be
sealed using a rubber seal, gasket, glue, welding or other method
so that gas cannot escape from the primary gas reservoir 105 around
the conduit 141. The control block 140 may be fabricated
differently in various embodiments but one embodiment may fabricate
the control block 140 using a top section and a bottom section that
are then attached using screws, glue, welding or other methods.
[0034] A release valve 150 may be positioned to have an input
pneumatically coupled to the control reservoir 135A via the plenum
142 and the conduit 141. The output of the release valve 150 may be
pneumatically coupled to the exhaust port 159. The release valve
150 may be a poppet valve as shown or may be any type of gas valve
in other embodiments including, but not limited to, a ball valve, a
butterfly valve, a diaphragm valve, or other type of valve that may
be manually, electrically, pneumatically, hydraulically, or
otherwise controlled. The release valve 150 may include a valve
body 152 configured to mate with valve seat 157 to form a gas-tight
seal. Spring 153A may provide force to keep the valve body 152
seated against the valve seat 157. A rod 154 may connect the valve
body 152 to the release button 155. In an alternative embodiment
the exhaust port 159 may pneumatically coupled to the primary gas
output opening 120 via a conduit. In such embodiments the exhaust
port 159 vents into the gas output 120 (or into a barrel attached
to the gas outlet 124, if any) rather than out into the atmosphere.
This allows gas exiting from the valve through the gas outlet 124
to aid in helping the spring 136A in pushing the piston 132 rapidly
back to a closed position and may also aid somewhat in pushing the
piston back 132 to open the valve.
[0035] The fill valve 160, which may also be called a control gas
inlet, allows gas from an external source to enter the plenum 140
and flow through the conduit 141 into the control reservoir 135A
without first flowing through the primary gas reservoir. As the
control reservoir 135A is pressurized to a control pressure, the
gas in the control reservoir 135A provides additional force on the
piston 132 to push the piston 132 against the primary gas outlet
124. The control reservoir 135A may be filled with gas and
pressurized using various methods in various embodiments, some of
which are described below.
[0036] The gas reservoir of high pressure gas that is released by
the valve is, in practice, typically much larger in volume than
control reservoir 135A. This may be achieved by connecting primary
gas reservoir 105 to a source of pressurized gas via the primary
gas input opening 110. The source of pressurized gas may be a tank
or other reservoir, or a high pressure gas line, that connects to
primary gas reservoir 105 via primary gas input opening 110. Gas
may enter the primary gas reservoir 105 using various methods in
various embodiments but in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the gas
may enter through the primary gas input opening 110 to pressurize
the primary gas reservoir 105 to a primary pressure. If the gas
valve 100 is in the closed state as shown in FIG. 1, in many
applications the pressure at the primary gas output opening 120 may
typically be at standard atmospheric pressure although in some
embodiments, the pressure at the primary gas output opening 120 may
be at some other pressure level although the calculations below are
based on the pressure at the primary gas outlet opening 120 being
at the pressure of the surrounding atmosphere if the gas valve 100
is closed. Other pressure levels are measured with respect to the
pressure of the surrounding atmosphere.
[0037] The closing forces operating on the piston 132 include the
force of the compressed spring 136A and the force of the gas in the
control reservoir 135A operating on the piston 132 which is equal
to the control pressure times the cross-sectional area of piston
132 at its largest point which will be referred to hereinafter as
the piston area. In many embodiments, the piston area may be equal
to the cross-sectional area of the piston at the piston ring 133.
The opening forces on piston include the force of any pressure at
the primary gas outlet opening 120 times the cross-sectional area
of the of the primary gas outlet opening 120, hereinafter referred
to as the outlet area, and the force of the gas in the primary gas
reservoir 105 operating on the piston 132 which is equal to the
primary pressure times the difference in the piston area and the
outlet area. The area represented by the difference in the piston
area and the outlet area can be seen as the annular ring 139 in
FIG. 3B. The cross-sectional area of the piston 132 can be closer
in size to the cross-sectional area of the outlet opening 120 so
long as the piston is sufficiently tight within the cylinder--that
is, so long as a relatively small amount of air leaks past the
piston into the control reservoir 135A. The air in the primary gas
reservoir 105 may be referred to as pressurized gas. Once the
pressurized gas leaks past the piston into the control reservoir
135A it may be called control gas. Control gas in the control
reservoir 135A vents out into the atmosphere through release valve
150 (sometimes called a control valve). The pressurized gas that
remains contained within the primary gas reservoir 105 is released
by the gas valve 100 through the primary gas outlet 124. In an
alternative embodiment, one or more small holes may be provided in
the cylinder allowing gas from the primary gas reservoir 105 to
enter the control reservoir 135A. In this alternative embodiment
the seal between the piston and the cylinder may be maximized to
the extent is does not cause an undue amount of friction and slow
the piston from opening.
[0038] Returning to the embodiments depicted in FIGS. 3A-B, the air
leaking past the piston 132 into the control reservoir 135A when
the valve is fired off (opened) should be a small fraction (e.g.,
less than 10%) of the air that is vented out of the control
reservoir 135A via conduit 141. In some embodiments the
cross-sectional area of the piston may be 50% larger than the
cross-sectional area of the outlet opening. That is, in some
embodiments the cross-sectional area of the piston is no greater
than 150% the cross-sectional area of the outlet opening. In other
embodiments the cross-sectional area of the piston is no greater
than 120% the cross-sectional area of the outlet opening. In yet
other embodiments the cross-sectional area of the piston is no
greater than 110% the cross-sectional area of the outlet opening.
At the other extreme, in other embodiments the cross-sectional area
of the piston may be only 1% larger than the cross-sectional area
of the outlet opening, or any percentage from 1% up to 50%. That
is, the cross-sectional area of the piston may be from 101% to 150%
the cross-sectional area of the outlet opening. Values of the
cross-sectional area of the piston that are larger than 150% the
cross-sectional area of the outlet opening may be used, but in such
configurations the opening speed of the valve is reduced
accordingly and the valve may not open fully due to compression of
the gas within the control reservoir. In one embodiment the
cross-sectional area of the piston is 5% larger than the
cross-sectional area of the outlet opening. To produce a faster
opening valve the piston is fit more snugly within the cylinder to
prevent pressurized air from leaking past the piston as rapidly as
the piston recedes into the cylinder in response to the release
valve 150 being opened to fire the valve. In configurations with a
piston that is only slightly larger than the cross-section of the
outlet opening (e.g., 3% larger), the piston tends to open slightly
later from when the release valve is opened as compared to
relatively larger piston sizes, but the later opening piston also
tends to open more rapidly. In many applications the tradeoff of a
slight delay in opening is worth the more rapidly opening
valve.
[0039] The gas valve 100 may be opened by opening the release valve
150 by pushing on the release button 155 which uses the rod 154 to
move the valve body 152 away from the valve seat 157 which also
compresses the spring 153B. Opening the release valve 150 allows
the pressurized gas in the control reservoir 135A to pass through
the conduit 141, the plenum 142, the open release valve 150, and
the exhaust port 159. This may cause the control pressure to drop
toward the surrounding atmospheric pressure. As the control
pressure drops, the closing force on the piston 132 is reduced. If
the control pressure drops to a release pressure, the opening force
on the piston 132 may exceed the closing force and the piston 132
may begin to slide within the receptacle 130 and allow gas to
escape through the primary gas outlet 124 which may increase the
pressure at the primary gas outlet 124. This increases the opening
force on the piston 132 and even though the control reservoir 135A
is being made smaller and the compressed spring 136A is being
further compressed, both of which may increase the closing force on
the piston 132, the increased opening force overcomes the closing
force and the piston 132 slides rapidly into the receptacle,
quickly opening the gas valve 100. In the inventor's estimation,
many embodiments may open in less than 0.10 seconds (s) and some
embodiments may open in a few tens of milliseconds (ms) such as
20-50 ms although other embodiments may open even faster and some
may open more slowly than 0.10 s.
[0040] Referring now to FIGS. 4A and 4B which show cross sectional
views of the gas valve 100 in an open position, the piston 132 has
slid into the receptacle 130 to allow the gas to escape through the
primary gas outlet 124. As long as the release valve 150 is held
open with enough force to overcome the closing force of the spring
153B, the control reservoir 135B, now much smaller due to the
position of the piston 132, may be at or near the pressure of the
surrounding atmosphere, so that the only closing force on the
piston is from the more compressed spring 136B. As long as enough
gas flows into the input gas opening 110 to continue to create
enough primary pressure in the primary gas reservoir 105 so that
the primary pressure times the piston area is greater than force
from the more compressed spring 136B, the gas valve 100 will tend
to remain open.
[0041] The gas valve 100 may be closed in two ways. If the gas
entering the gas valve 100 through the primary gas input 110 is
reduced or shut off, the primary pressure in primary gas reservoir
105 is reduced and the force from the spring 135B (which is
compressed when the valve is open) will tend to push the piston
against the primary gas outlet 124, closing the gas valve 100. The
closure of the gas valve 100 due to pressure of spring 135B when
the pressure within primary gas reservoir 105 falls to a
sufficiently low level can occur independent of the position of the
release valve 150--that is, with the release valve 150 open or
closed, depending upon the pressure in reservoir 105. The second
manner of the release valve 150 being closed involves gas being
provided to pressurize the control reservoir 135B to a point that
the control pressure provides enough closing force on the piston
132 to overcome the opening force from the primary pressure. This
causes the piston 132 to slide shut and push against the primary
gas outlet 124, closing the gas valve 100. These two forces--the
force of spring 135B and the force due to the pressure in control
reservoir 135B--may act together in closing the valve.
[0042] The gas valve 100 may be built with various dimensions in
various embodiments designed for use in different applications. In
one embodiment, the input fitting 112 and output fitting 122 may be
designed to mate with 1.5 inch (in.) threaded pipes. The inside
diameter of the cylindrical receptacle 130 may be in a range from
1.6 in. to over 2.25 In, with one embodiment using a cylinder with
an inside diameter of about 1.8 in. for the receptacle. Based on
the inventor's experiments, if the area of the inside of the
receptacle 130 is at least 10% larger than the area of the primary
gas outlet 124, the gas valve 100 operates well. Other embodiments
may use a wide range of sizes for the primary gas outlet 124 and
for the receptacle 130, for example, in some embodiments the
receptacle 130 size may vary within the range of 0.25 inch to 12
inches, with correspondingly sized inputs, outputs and fittings. In
yet other embodiments the size of the body 101 can be any size as
long as enough space is left between the receptacle 130 and the
body 101 for the free flow of gas but in one embodiment, the body
101 is a cylinder about 4 in. in diameter. The conduit 141 may be
of various sizes but some embodiments may use a 1/8 in, and others
may use 1/4 in. pipe and fittings. Other embodiments may use larger
pipes or tubes with various fittings.
[0043] Some applications of the gas valve 100 are for use with
compressed air at up to about 150 pounds per square inch (psi). So
some embodiments may be designed for use at up to 150 psi of
pressure in the primary gas reservoir 105. Other embodiments may be
designed for use at lower pressures, such as under 100 psi or under
50 psi. Some embodiments may be designed for use with gas at low
temperatures, such as under 100 degrees Celsius (C). Other
embodiments may be designed for use at much lower or much higher
temperatures. The intended operating temperature may impact the
choice of materials and construction techniques used.
[0044] FIG. 5A shows a cross-sectional side view, and FIG. 5B shows
a cross-sectional front view of an alternate embodiment of a gas
valve 500 in an open position. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 5A and
5B is quite similar to the gas valve 100 discussed above and may
use similar materials and constructions techniques. The gas valve
500 may have a cylindrical body 501 with two end-caps 511, 521
attached to the body 501 to form a primary gas reservoir 505. The
input end cap 511 may have a primary gas input opening 510 formed
by an input fitting 512 with threads 513 to accept gas into the
primary gas reservoir 505 from an external source that may be
connected to the input fitting 512. The output end cap 521 may have
a primary gas outlet opening 520 formed by an output fitting 522
with threads 523. An output pipe may be connected to the output
fitting 522 using the threads 523 or other types of connection.
[0045] A piston 532 may be shaped to fit into a cylinder 530 with a
closed end 531 and slide in a reciprocating motion in the cylinder
530. The cylinder 530 may be positioned by supports 502A, 502B,
502C to allow the piston 532 to slide into position to seal the
primary gas outlet 524. A compressed spring 536B may be positioned
between the closed end of the cylinder 531 and the piston 532 to
provide force to help keep the piston 532 seated against the
primary gas outlet 524. A gasket or O-ring 525 may be positioned on
the piston 532 to better seal against the primary gas outlet 524 if
the gas valve 500 is closed.
[0046] The piston 532 may include one or more piston rings 533 that
may be fitted around the piston 532 or may be an integral part of
the piston 532 and may be interposed between the piston 532 and the
cylinder 530. The piston ring 533 of the embodiment shown may have
one or more notches 534 configured to allow for a controlled flow
of gas between the primary gas reservoir 505 and the control
reservoir 535B that may be created in the cylinder 530 between the
closed end 531 of the cylinder 530 and the piston 532. Other
embodiments may use a piston ring 533 that has been cut and is
sized such that if it is positioned on the piston 532, a gap is
left between the two ends of the cut piston ring 533.
[0047] A control block 540 may be attached to the body 501. A
conduit 541 may pneumatically couple the control reservoir 535B and
a plenum 542 in the control block 540, allowing gas to flow between
the control reservoir 535B and the plenum 542. A release valve 550
may be positioned in the control block 540 to have an input
pneumatically coupled to the control reservoir 535B via the plenum
542 and the conduit 541. The output of the release valve 550 may be
pneumatically coupled to the exhaust port 559. The release valve
550 may include a valve body 552 configured to mate with valve seat
557 to form a gas-tight seal. A rod 554 may connect the valve body
152 to the release button 155. If primary pressure is maintained by
having gas flow into the primary gas reservoir 505 from the gas
input opening 510, then as long as the release button 555 is
pressed, gas is free to flow from the control reservoir 535B out of
the exhaust port 559, keeping the control reservoir 535B at a low
pressure so that the gas valve 500 remains open.
[0048] If pressure holding the release button 555 down is removed,
spring 553B may provide force to push the valve body 552 against
the valve seat 557 and blocking the flow of gas out of the exhaust
port 559. If this occurs, gas may flow from the primary gas
reservoir 505, though the one or more gaps 534 in the piston ring
533 and eventually pressuring the control reservoir 535B to a
control pressure approaching the primary pressure. As this occurs,
the closing force on the piston 532 may eventually exceed the
opening force due to the force from the compressed spring 536B, and
the piston 532 may slide against the primary gas outlet 524,
closing the gas valve 500.
[0049] By using one or more small gaps 534 in the piston ring 533,
gas may flow from the primary gas reservoir 505 to fill the control
reservoir 535B. But the small size of the gaps 534 may not allow
the gas to flow fast enough to equalize the pressure between the
primary gas reservoir 505 and the control reservoir 535B. The
pressure differential created allows the closing force and opening
forces on the piston 532 to work as described above.
[0050] In the embodiment shown, some gas may flow from the primary
gas reservoir 505, through the gap 534, the control reservoir 535B,
the conduit 541, the plenum 542, the release valve 550 and out the
exhaust port 559 while the release valve 550 is held open. This may
be fine for some applications while other applications may not
tolerate that type of gas leakage.
[0051] The size and number of gap 534 required may depend on
several factors including, for example, the rate of increase of the
pressure in the primary gas reservoir 505, the maximum volume of
the control reservoir 535 and the fit of the piston 532 in the
cylinder. It is expected that for some of the applications
envisioned by the inventor, one gap 534 about 0.25 inch wide and
about 0.05 inches deep should allow the gas valve 500 to operate
properly. Other applications may utilize a different number and/or
size of gap 534 in the piston ring 533.
[0052] In another embodiment of gas valve 500, the input fitting
512 and threads 513 may be designed to mate with a standard
carbon-dioxide (CO.sub.2) tank with a CGA320 fitting that may
contain CO.sub.2 at 800 psi or more. In the embodiment using
CO.sub.2, the primary gas outlet 524 may have a diameter of 0.47
in. and the cylinder 530 may have an inside diameter of 0.61 in
with the body 501 having a 2 in. diameter and a 0.095 wall
thickness. Other embodiments may use different dimensions depending
on the gas and pressure used as well as the specifics of the
application. Some embodiments may be designed for use with
nitrogen, helium, air or other gases at pressures ranging from a
few psi to several thousand psi.
[0053] FIG. 6A depicts an exploded view of a rapid air release
valve 600 (RAR valve 600) illustrating the component parts that are
configured as part of the RAR valve 600, according to various
embodiments disclosed herein. The RAR valve 600 includes a cylinder
610 and piston 614. The endcap 606 is fastened to the proximal end
of cylinder 610. The cylinder 610 extends into the air tank where
pressurized air is contained. The cylinder 610 includes a cylinder
collar portion 609 that is positioned just outside the hole in the
tank through which the cylinder 610 extends. The collar portion 609
and cylinder 610 extending into the tank can be seen in the cutaway
view of FIG. 7B. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 6A the collar
portion 609 has a greater diameter than the rest of the cylinder
610. In some embodiments the collar portion 609 may have the same
diameter as the adjacent portion of cylinder 610, and in other
embodiments the collar portion 609 may have a smaller diameter than
the adjacent portion of cylinder 610. In various embodiments the
endcap 606 is welded to the cylinder 610. The piston 614 has an
outside diameter that is slightly smaller than the inside diameter
of the cylinder 610. The piston 614 fits within the cylinder 610,
and is loose enough to slide back and forth in the cylinder with
little resistance.
[0054] The spring 612, a compression spring, is positioned in a
partially compressed state within the cylinder 610 between the
endcap 606 and the piston 614. One end of the spring 612 pushes
against the endcap 606 which is attached to cylinder 610. The other
end of the spring 612 pushes against the piston 614 which is free
to move back and forth within the cylinder 610 from the open
position (proximal direction; back) to the closed position (distal
direction 675; forward). With the air tank empty the spring 612
tends to push the piston 614 in the distal direction 675 to the
closed position--that is, to close the valve 600. Direction 675 is
called the distal direction because, upon opening the RAR valve
600, the pressurized air blows outward away from the user in the
distal direction 675.
[0055] The force exerted by the spring 612 has an effect on the
operation of the various RAR valve embodiments. The spring must
have a sufficient spring rate--that is, produce a sufficient
force--to close the RAR valve with the tank empty. A higher spring
rate also aids in reducing the force with which the piston hits the
endcap 606 as the piston slams to its open position as compared to
a spring characterized by a lower spring rate. A third
consideration is that, over time impurities from impure air pumped
into the tank could possibly build up on the internal parts of the
RAR valve, thus resulting in friction on the piston as it moves
back and forth in the cylinder. A spring with a higher spring rate
is able to overcome a certain amount of friction in the cylinder
due to the build-up of impurities, making it less susceptible to
malfunctions. However, not all the characteristics of a high spring
rate spring are beneficial to the RAR valve. The higher the spring
rate, the more force it takes to open the valve. A spring having
too high of a spring rate will tend to make the RAR valve open more
slowly, or not at all, as compared to a spring with just enough
spring rate to push the piston to the closed position when the air
tank is empty. Thus, the choice of spring rate involves a trade-off
between the speed at which the RAR valve opens and reliability of
the RAR valve.
[0056] The spring 612 shown in FIG. 6A has an outside diameter of
approximately 1.5 inches and 3.0 inches long in its uncompressed
state. The spring 612 is slightly smaller than the inside diameter
of the cushion 608 so that it can be placed against the endcap 606
with the cushion 608 fitting snuggly around it. The cushion 608
aids in cushioning the piston 614 as it slams back towards the
endcap 606 in response to the RAR valve 600 opening. The cushion
608 may be a flexible material such as polyacetal, nylon, leather,
rubber or other like type of material known to those of ordinary
skill in the art. Alternatively, the cushion 608 may be another
spring shorter and stiffer than the spring 612 and having a
diameter either smaller than, or larger than, the spring 612. In
yet other embodiments, the cushion 608 may be a single spring with
dual spring rates--that is, two sections having different spring
rates.
[0057] Turning to FIGS. 7A-B, these figures illustrate the piston
614 pushed back to an open state. With the tank 701 empty and
piston 614 closed it takes a certain amount of force applied to the
distal end of the piston 614 to begin opening the piston 614--that
is, to push the piston 614 away from the point where it is seated
inside the cylinder 610. The force required to begin opening the
RAR valve by pushing on the piston 614 in its seated position is
called the "closed-state spring force." Some embodiments have a
closed-state spring force that is within the range of 0.1 ounce to
10 lbs. Various embodiments have an empty tank spring force within
a number of different ranges, including the range of 0.1 ounce to 7
lbs., the range of 0.1 ounce to 5 lbs., the range of 0.1 ounce to 4
lbs., the range of 0.1 ounce to 3 lbs., the range of 0.1 ounce to 2
lbs., the range of 0.1 ounce to 1 lb., the range of 0.05 ounce to
8.0 ounces, and the range of 0.05 ounce to 4.0 ounces.
[0058] A slotted collar 620 screws into the female threaded end of
cylinder 610. The slots aid in screwing and unscrewing the slotted
collar 620. The female threaded end of cylinder 610 that the
slotted collar 620 screws into can be more clearly seen in FIG. 6B.
The slotted collar 620 has an inside diameter that is smaller than
the diameter of the piston 614, thus preventing the piston 614 from
coming out the distal end of cylinder 610. The piston 614 is
configured to receive a sealing gasket mounted on its distal end as
depicted in FIG. 6A. The sealing gasket may be made of a flexible
material to minimize friction and create a good seal such as
polyacetal, nylon, leather, rubber or other like type of material
known to those of ordinary skill in the art. In various embodiments
the sealing gasket is an O-ring 618 fit around the distal end of
piston 614. In the closed position, the O-ring 618 seats against
the surface of the slotted collar 620 opposite the slotted surface.
The O-ring 618 aids in maintaining an airtight seal while the valve
remains in the closed position. In other embodiments the O-ring is
mounted on the inside of the RAR valve opening, and the piston 614
slides forward to the closed position, coming in contact with the
O-ring to form an airtight seal.
[0059] At the proximal end (back end) of the RAR valve 600 a
conduit 604 is fastened between the hole on the endcap 606 shown in
FIG. 6A and a hole in the tank of the pneumatic tire seater, e.g.,
tank 101 of pneumatic tire seater 100 depicted in FIG. 1A. A valve
control mechanism controllably opens/closes to controllably
connect/disconnect a control chamber in the cylinder 610 between
the piston 614 and endcap 606 to the outside atmosphere via conduit
604. The valve control mechanism (e.g., 717 depicted in FIG. 7A)
serves as a switch for the RAR valve to open the valve and release
a blast of air from the tank. Further details of the RAR valve may
be seen in FIGS. 7A-B.
[0060] FIGS. 7A-B depict side views of an RAR pneumatic tire seater
with a portion of the tank cut away to display the RAR valve inside
the tank according to various embodiments disclosed herein. The RAR
valve in each of these views is pushed back and held in the open
position to reveal the distal end (forward end) of piston 614. For
the sake of consistency FIGS. 7A-B use the reference numbers from
FIGS. 6A-C to identify components of the RAR valve.
[0061] As depicted in FIGS. 7A-B, a portion of the RAR valve
extends through a hole in the air tank 701 into its interior where
the pressurized air is contained. In the embodiments depicted,
another small portion of the RAR valve extends out of the hole in
tank 701 to the atmosphere outside the tank. In various embodiments
the cylinder 610 of the RAR valve is welded to the tank 701 to
affix it in an airtight manner. The bead of weld 727 connecting the
two components can be seen in FIG. 7B. In other embodiments the RAR
valve is threaded on an outside surface and screws into the tank
701, allowing it to be removed for repair or replacement, and to
enable access to the inside of the tank 701.
[0062] The valve control mechanism 717 shown in FIG. 7A serves as a
switch for the RAR valve 600 to open the valve and release a blast
of air. Various other embodiments may be configured with different
types of valve switch components, including for example, a lever, a
button, a toggle, a switch, a rotating collar, a bar, a trigger
mechanism, and other such valve switch components as are known by
those of ordinary skill in the art. In various embodiments the
valve control mechanism 717 may be protected by a trigger guard to
avoid inadvertently opening the valve 600 and releasing a blast of
air from the tank 701.
[0063] The cylinder 610 is configured with one or more air vents
613 that open into the interior of the tank 701. In the RAR valve's
closed position the piston 614 with its O-ring 618 is pushed
forward in the distal direction 675 to seat against the slotted
collar 620 and prevent pressurized air within the tank 701 from
exiting into the atmosphere. The RAR valve is in the open position
with the piston 614 with its O-ring 618 pulled back in the proximal
direction to unseat from the slotted collar 620 and allow
pressurized air from the tank 701 to escape through the nozzle 105.
There is a space within the cylinder 610 between the piston 614 and
the endcap 606 called a control reservoir 611 as shown in a cutaway
view in FIG. 7A. The spring 612 and cushion 608 are contained
within the reservoir 611. The air pressure within the control
reservoir 611 in conjunction with the force of spring 612 act to
urge the piston 614 in the distal direction 675 (forward) toward
the closed position.
[0064] The force of spring 612 alone isn't enough to keep the RAR
valve 600 closed as it is filled with pressurized air. The combined
force of spring 612 in conjunction with the air pressure in the
control reservoir 611 is sufficient to keep the RAR valve 600 in
the closed position, so long as the pressure within the control
reservoir 611 remains within a predetermined percentage of
pressurized air in the tank. The predetermined percentage depends
on the spring rate (stiffness) of the spring 612. A spring with a
relatively higher spring rate (more stiff) requires more of a drop
in the pressure of the control reservoir 611 in order to pull the
piston 614 back from its closed state to an open state, as compare
to a spring 612 with a spring rate just high enough to close the
piston 614 with the tank 701 nearly empty (i.e., less than 5 psi of
air pressure).
[0065] The air pressure in control reservoir 611 comes from
pressurized air bleeding past the piston 617 as the tank 701 is
filled with pressurized air. In various embodiments a piston ring
616 may be provided on the piston 614 to aid in providing a better
seal between the piston 614 and the inner walls of cylinder 610,
thus controlling the rate at which the pressurized air in tank 701
leaks past the piston 614. The piston ring 616 may be a spring
steel piston ring (or other like type of rigid material), or may be
an O-ring. Even though the piston 614, equipped with a piston ring
616, and fits snuggly within the cylinder 610, the pressurized air
bleeds past the piston 614 at a rate fast enough as tank 701 is
being filled to keep the pressure in the control chamber 611
relatively close to the pressure within tank 701. For example, if
an air compressor with 150 psi air in an 80 gallon tank is used to
fill the tank 701, the pressure within control chamber 611 remains
within 95% of the air pressure in tank 701 as it is being filled.
That is, the pressure within control chamber 611 mirrors the air
pressure in tank 701 as it is being filled by remaining within no
less than 95% of the pressure in tank 701. Once the tank 701 is
full the pressure in the control chamber 611 equalizes with the
pressure in tank 701 in just a few seconds-say, within no more than
5 seconds.
[0066] The air in the control chamber 611, for the purposes of this
disclosure, is called "control air." As discussed above, the source
of the control air is pressurized air leaking past the piston 614
as the tank 701 is being filled. The control chamber 611 is
pneumatically coupled to the atmosphere (outside of the tank 701)
via conduit 606 and control valve 719. The control valve 719
prevents the control air from escaping from control chamber 611
until the valve control mechanism 717 is actuated (e.g.,
depressed). Actuating the valve control mechanism 717 opens the
path between the control chamber 611 and the atmosphere outside the
tank 701 via conduit 606, allowing the control air in the control
chamber 611 to freely release into the atmosphere outside the tank
701. The control air being released from control chamber 611
reduces the air pressure in the control chamber 611 that is helping
to keep the piston 614 pushed forward in the closed position. As a
result of the control air being released the force of compression
spring 612 is no longer sufficient to maintain the valve 600 in the
closed position, and the piston 614 begins to pull back in the
proximal direction. As the RAR valve 600 begins to open the
pressurized air from tank 701 rushing past the piston 614 aids in
opening the piston 614 to the fully open position.
[0067] FIG. 7A shows the conduit 606 connects to an inlet of
control valve 719. The control valve 719 is configured to vent the
control air near the control mechanism 717. In other embodiments
the control valve 719 may be configured with an outlet that vents
air out the bottom of pistol grip 707, or out of the top of grip
707 between the tank 701 and the grip 707. The volume of control
air released from the control reservoir 611 in response to opening
the RAR valve 600 is not very large in comparison to the air that
vents through the nozzle from air tank 701. Various embodiments
release an amount of from 15 to 50 cubic centimeters of control
air, depending upon the inside diameter of cylinder 610 and the
stroke of piston 614 (that is, the distance the piston 614 travels
back in the cylinder 610 upon opening the valve). Larger
embodiments of RAR valves release more control air--an amount that
is somewhat less than the volume of the piston 614.
[0068] The valve opening time at which various RAR valve
embodiments opens is dependent upon a number of factors, including
for example, the tightness of the piston 614 (and piston ring 616,
if so equipped) within the cylinder 610, the diameter of the
cylinder outlet (e.g., inside diameter of slotted collar 620), the
air pressure in the tank, and the spring rate of spring 612. For
the purpose of measuring the valve opening time, the valve begins
to open as soon as the piston has traveled back 1/50th of an inch
and pressurized air begins passing out the front of the cylinder.
Also for the purpose of measuring the valve opening time, the valve
is considered "open" as soon as it reaches 75% of the fully open
position--that is, by the time the piston reaches 75% of the total
distance it is capable of traveling in the proximal direction. By
this time--that is, by the time the piston has traveled 75% of the
way back--a great volume of air is already passing out of the
valve. For all practical purposes the valve is to be considered
open at this point. Thus, the valve opening time is the time it
takes from when the valve begins to open and the piston has
traveled back 1/50th of an inch to when the piston has traveled 75%
of the total distance it is capable of traveling in the proximal
direction within the cylinder.
[0069] Various embodiments are characterized by different opening
times for a tank inflated to 110+/-10 psi, including but not
limited to opening times having ranges of: no greater than 10 ms
(milliseconds), no greater than 20 ms, no greater than 30 ms, no
greater than 40 ms, no greater than 50 ms, no greater than 60 ms,
no greater than 70 ms, no greater than 80 ms, no greater than 85
ms, no greater than 90 ms, no greater than 100 ms, no greater than
120 ms, no greater than 140 ms, no greater than 150 ms, no greater
than 160 ms, no greater than 180 ms, no greater than 200 ms, no
greater than 225 ms, or no greater than 250 ms.
[0070] FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional side view of an alternate
embodiment of a gas valve 800 mounted on a tank 801, sometimes
called a pressure vessel or simply vessel. The gas valve 800
mounted in this manner extends within the vessel or tank 801. For
example, the output fitting 822 is on the outside of the tank 801
and the remainder of the gas valve 800 is configured within the
tank 801. The tank 801 may be made from a body 803 that may be
cylindrical or some other shape, an end cap 810 and an output end
cap 821. The output end cap 821 may have an output fitting 822 with
threads 823 to provide a primary gas output opening 820. A cylinder
830 with a closed end 831 may be positioned inside the tank 801
using supports 802 that connect the cylinder 830 to the output end
cap 821. Any number of supports 802 may be used. The cylinder 830
may be positioned to allow a piston 832 that may slide in a
reciprocating motion in the cylinder 830 to push against the
primary gas outlet 824 to close the gas valve 800. The piston 832
may include one or more piston rings 833 to provide for a better
seal between the piston 832 and the cylinder 830 without increasing
the friction too much.
[0071] A control body 840 may be mounted on the outside of the tank
801. The control body may have an quick-connect gas fitting 860
with check valve 861 to allow gas to flow from an external gas
source that may be connected to the quick-connect gas fitting 860
into the plenum 842 but not allow the gas to escape from the plenum
860 back out through the quick-connect gas fitting 860. The plenum
842 is pneumatically coupled to the input of a release valve 850.
The plenum 842 is also pneumatically coupled to a control reservoir
835 formed in the cylinder 830 between the piston 832 and the
closed end 831 of the cylinder 830 through a conduit 841. A check
valve 865 may allow gas to flow from the control reservoir 835 into
the primary gas reservoir 805 but not allow gas to flow in the
other direction.
[0072] If an external gas source is connected to the quick-connect
gas fitting 860 while the release valve 850 is closed, the gas will
flow through the plenum 842 and conduit 841 into the control
reservoir 835, pressurizing the control reservoir 835 and seating
the piston 832 against the primary gas outlet 824 to close the gas
valve 800 and sealing the tank 801. As soon as the gas in the
control reservoir 835 has enough pressure to open the check valve
865, gas flows from the control reservoir 835 into the primary gas
reservoir 805 and begins to pressurize the tank 801. The control
reservoir 835 may maintain a higher pressure than the primary gas
reservoir 805 by at least the activation pressure of the
check-valve 865 which may keep the piston 832 seated against the
primary gas outlet 824 even if no spring is included although some
embodiments may include a spring between the closed end 831 of the
cylinder 830 and the piston 832.
[0073] After the primary gas reservoir 805 is at the desired
primary pressure and the control reservoir 835 is at a control
pressure, the external gas source may be disconnected from the
quick-connect gas fitting 860, if the release valve 850 is opened,
gas may flow from the control reservoir 835, through the conduit
841, the plenum 842, the release valve 850 and out the exhaust port
859 causing the control pressure to drop. After the control
pressure drops below the release pressure, the opening force on the
piston 832 may exceed the closing force causing the piston 832 to
quickly slide into the cylinder 830 away from the primary gas
outlet 824, opening the gas valve 800, and allowing the gas in the
primary gas reservoir 805 to exit through the primary gas output
opening 820.
[0074] FIG. 9A shows a cross-sectional side view and FIG. 9B shows
a cross-sectional front view of a different alternate embodiment of
a gas valve 900 in a closed position and FIG. 9C shows an exploded
assembly drawing of the gas valve 900. Gas valve 900 may operate in
a very similar way to gas valve 500 and/or gas valve 700 so many
details of the construction and operation of gas valve 900 may be
left out for simplicity. The gas valve 900 may be made up of a body
901 with an input end cap 911 and an output end cap 921. The two
end-caps 911, 921 may be clamped onto the body 901 using four bolts
909 with nuts 908 and gaskets 907 between each end cap 911, 921 and
the body 901 to help provide a gas-tight seal.
[0075] A cylinder 930 with a closed end 931 may be positioned in
the body using three supports 902. The cylinder 930 may be
positioned to allow a piston 932 to slide partially out of the
cylinder 930 and press against the primary gas outlet 924 with the
O-ring 925, to close the gas valve 900. A groove 934 in the piston
932 may be included. The groove 934 may be used to position a
piston ring in some embodiments. A spring 936 positioned between
the closed end 931 of the cylinder 930 to provide a closing force
on the piston 932 and a large O-ring 939 may be included at the
back of the cylinder 930 to provide a cushion for the piston 932 as
the piston 932 slides back into the cylinder 930 quickly. A control
reservoir 935 may be formed in the cylinder between the piston 932
and the closed end 931 of the cylinder 930. The control reservoir
935 may be pneumatically coupled to the input of a release valve
950 by an elbow joint 943 and conduit 941.
[0076] If the release valve 950 is closed, gas may enter the
control reservoir 935 between the piston 932 and the cylinder 930
to pressurize the control reservoir 935. If the release valve 950
is opened, gas from the control reservoir 935 may exit through the
exhaust reservoir 959 to reduce the pressure in the control
reservoir 935 to open the gas valve 900. The opening force on the
piston 932 may not be as large as the other embodiments shown, but
as discussed earlier, the difference between the diameter of the
cylinder 930 and the diameter of the primary gas outlet 924 does
not need to be large for operation of the gas valve 900. The small
gap between the piston and the flat end of the output end cap 921
is enough to allow the pressure of the primary gas reservoir 905 to
act on the annular ring of the exposed piston 932 to open the gas
valve 900. FIG. 10A shows an embodiment of a tire seating system
990. The tire seating system 990 may include a pressure vessel or
tank 991 with a rounded end 992 and an end cap 921 with an output
fitting 922. The tank 991 may be of any size and/or shape and in
some embodiments may be cylindrical while in other embodiments may
be spherical or some other shape. The embodiment shown has the
output fitting 921 emerging axially from the tank 991 but other
embodiments may have the output fitting at other places on the tank
991. A grip 940 may be attached to the tank 991 to allow for easy
handling of the tire seating device 990.
[0077] Input port 960 may allow for an external pressurized gas
source to be connected to the tank 991 to fill the tank 991. Input
valve 961 which may be controlled by valve handle 962 may be opened
to allow the tank 991 to be filled and then closed to allow the
pressurized gas in the tank 991 to remain if the external gas
source is disconnected.
[0078] A first tube 998 may pneumatically couple the tank 991 to an
input of gas valve 900. The gas valve 900 may be any of the
embodiments described herein but the embodiment shown in FIG. 10A
is described below. A second tube 999 may pneumatically couple the
gas valve 900 to a nozzle 1000. The nozzle 1000 may be any type of
nozzle suitable for blowing air between a rim and a tire including
nozzles utilizing the Venturi effect and nozzles with multiple
outlets. The embodiment shown in FIG. 10A is a conventional nozzle
which will be described in more detail below.
[0079] FIG. 10B shows an isometric view from above and behind and
FIG. 10C shows a front view of an embodiment of a conventional
nozzle 1000 that may be used in some embodiments of a tubeless tire
seating device. Conventional nozzle 1000 may have a threaded
fitting 1001 to mate to a source of air such as tube 999. A
coupling 1002 may mate the threaded fitting 1001 to a spout 1010
that may flatten and widen as it extends away coupler 1002. The
nozzle outlet 1014 of the spout 1010 may be rectangular or oval in
shape or in some embodiments the nozzle outlet may be round or
round with one flattened side or any other shape suitable for
blowing air between a tire and rim. Brace 1015 may provide strength
to the nozzle outlet 1014 to help keep it from collapsing due to
pressure from the tire and/or rim. A rim bracket 1019 may be
attached to the top of the spout 1010 to help a user properly
position the nozzle 1000 against the lip of the rim. Tire bumper
1017 may help push the tire away from the rim as the nozzle 1000 is
positioned to provide more space for the air to enter the tire.
[0080] Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing
quantities of elements, optical characteristic properties, and so
forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as
being modified in all instances by the term "about." Accordingly,
unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set
forth in the preceding specification and attached claims are
approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties
sought to be obtained by those skilled in the art utilizing the
teachings of the present invention. At the very least, and not as
an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents
to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter should at
least be construed in light of the number of reported significant
digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.
Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting
forth the broad scope of the invention are approximations, the
numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as
precisely as possible. Any numerical value, however, inherently
contains certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard
deviations found in their respective testing measurements. The
recitation of numerical ranges by endpoints includes all numbers
subsumed within that range (e.g. 1 to 5 includes 1, 1.5, 2, 2.75,
3, 3.80, 4, and 5).
[0081] As used in this specification and the appended claims, the
singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless
the content clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example,
reference to an element described as "a port" may refer to a single
port, two ports or any other number of ports. As used in this
specification and the appended claims, the term "or" is generally
employed in its sense including "and/or" unless the content clearly
dictates otherwise. As used herein, the term "coupled" includes
direct and indirect connections. Moreover, where first and second
devices are coupled, intervening devices including active devices
may be located there between.
[0082] Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state "means
for" performing a specified function, or "step for" performing a
specified function, is not to be interpreted as a "means" or "step"
clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 112, 6. In particular the
use of "step of" in the claims is not intended to invoke the
provision of 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 112, 6.
[0083] Two components that are in "pneumatic communication" with
each other, as this phrase is used herein, means that gas (e.g.,
pressurized air) passes between the two components. The phrases
"pneumatically connected" and "pneumatically coupled" mean the same
as "in pneumatic communication." More than two components can be
"in pneumatic communication" (or be pneumatically connected). For
example, the control chamber 611 is in pneumatic communication with
the atmosphere (outside of the tank 701) via conduit 606 and
control valve 719 (or are pneumatically coupled) as shown in FIGS.
7A-B. This means that (upon the control mechanism being actuated)
the control gas within the control reservoir passes through conduit
606 through the control valve 719 and out into the atmosphere.
[0084] In regards to the term "pressurized gas" (or similarly,
"pressurized air") it is understood that upon releasing the
pressurized gas from the air tank, the pressure of that gas drops
considerably--although it is still pressurized above atmospheric
pressure for a very tiny fraction of a second upon being released
from the valve until reaching equilibrium with the atmosphere. To
simplify the explanation herein, the pressurized air released from
the air tank will still be called pressurized air even when it has
been released from the tank and blown through the valve, so as to
distinguish it from all other air or gases within the atmosphere
outside of the air tank. In regards to the term "airtight seal" it
is understood that, given enough time, nearly any tank with a valve
that is filled pressurized gas will eventually leak out at least
some of the pressurized gas. The term "airtight sear" as used
herein is defined to mean that no more than 1 liter of a gas
contained within the receptacle at 100 psi will leak past the
airtight seal within a 30 minute period. The phrase "affixed in an
airtight manner" is defined to mean being affixed with an airtight
seal. For example, an high speed gas valve as disclosed herein that
is affixed in an airtight manner to an air tank won't leak at the
seam where the two components are affixed at a rate of more than 1
liter of the gas contained in the receptacle at 100 psi within a 30
minute period. The term "substantially airtight seal" as used
herein is defined to mean that no more than 1 liter of a gas (e.g.,
air) contained within the receptacle (e.g., air tank 101) at 100
psi will leak past the airtight seal within a 10 minute period. The
phrase "affixed in a substantially airtight manner" is defined to
mean being affixed with a substantially airtight seal. The piston
in various embodiments configured with an O-ring as shown in FIG.
6A forms an airtight seal against the slotted collar with the high
speed valve in the closed position. In various embodiments, so long
as the surface of the components are not worn, damaged, or soiled
with impurities the RAR valve in a closed position will typically
maintain an airtight seal for at least several hours.
[0085] The description of the various embodiments provided above is
illustrative in nature and is not intended to limit the invention,
its application, or uses. Thus, variations that do not depart from
the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of
the embodiments of the present invention. Such variations are not
to be regarded as a departure from the intended scope of the
present invention.
* * * * *